Slug resurfacer



Dec. 10, 1940. F. w. BILLKER EIAL SLU G RESURFACER 2 Sheets-Sheet l HUH I Filed July 29, 1957 ATTORNEY.

Dec. 10, 1940. F. w. BILLKER ETALQ SLUG RESURFACER Filed July 29, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES rrssr oFFicE waukee, .Wis.,

assignor to Milwaukee Saw Trimmer Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application July 29, 1937, Serial No. 156,340

10 Claims.

Our present invention relates generally to improvements in the art of finishing or resurfac ing the printing faces of objects such as cast slugs, and relates more specifically to improvements in the construction and operation of socalled slug resurfacing machines which are especially adapted to face or plane display slugs or the like in order to insure uniform impressions throughout the printing areas thereof.

Generally defined, an object of our invention is to provide an improved printers slug resurfacing machine which is simple in construction and highly efiicient in use.

It is necessary in the printing art, and especially when utilizing blocks or strips of 'relatively large type, with certain kinds of paper and ink, to have the impression surfaces of the type dressed so as to insure uniform final printing throughout the type areas. In order to facilitate the dressing operation, the type faces are ordinarily lubricated so that the cutter will produce a smooth finish even when considerable stock is removed by a single cut. Heretofore, it has been common practice to clamp the printing bars or blocks in succession in a reciprocable carriage which was movable to and fro past a revolving cutter, and to apply the oil or other lubricant to the undressed type faces during their advancement toward the cutter. The oiling roller of this prior device was rotatable about a fixed axis, and in order-to maintain a dry finished face on the objects dressed, during their reverse movement past the cutter, the carriage was provided with means for moving the dressed plates or type bars away from the zones of action of the cutter andof the oiling device during the return stroke. We have found that when a revolving cutter is used, it is advantageous to return the preliminarily dressed type slugs or type bars in substantial contact with the cutter blades in order to secure a final finishing cut at the impression faces, and the prior machines cannot accomplish this desirable result without applying oil or grease to the finally finished or planed faces, and this is extremely undesirable.

Our present invention therefore contemplates provision of a new and useful machine of this general type, wherein the impression faces of printing plates or type may be effectively oiled and finished to produce desirably smooth and dry final printing faces.

Another specific object of our invention is to provide a simple slug resurfacer or facer, which is durable in construction and which may be readily operated to produce extremelysmooth and even impression faces upon the successive slugs or objects operated upon.

A further specific object of our invention is the provision of an improved oiling rig for lubricating the impression faces of type'slugs or the like prior to dressing thereof, and for maintaining dry impression faces after the finishing out has been completed.

Still another specific object of our invention is to provide an improved impression face resurfacing machine, which is readily manipulable, and which may be manufactured and operated at moderate cost.

These and other specific objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent from the followingdetailed description.

A clear conception of the features constituting our present improvement, and of the mode of constructing and of utilizing type facing machines built in accordance with our invention, may be had by referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a top view of one of our improved type trimming machines;

Fig. 2 is a part'sectional front elevation of the trimming machine of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary top view of a part of the machine, showing the oiling roller and the cutter in action, with the roller moved semblage, showing the position of the parts just prior to movement of the roller out of the plane of cutting; and

Fig. 7 is another similar view of the oiling roller assemblage, showing the roller moved out of the plane of cutting.

While our invention has been shown and described herein as being specifically embodied in a facing machine which is especially adapted to dress the impression faces of type bars or of individual large type, it is not the intent to thereby unnecessarily limit the scope of the invention or the uses to which it may be applied.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the improved type trimming machine shown therein comprises in general, a main support or frame III which is ordinarily mounted upon a suitable pedestal or base; a rotary cutterll secured to a shaft I2 journalled in anti-friction bearings I3, I4 carried by the main frame I0, and adapted to be rotated by an electric motor I5 through belt gearing I6; a work supporting carriage I'I mounted for free manual reciprocation along relatively heavy parallel guide bars I8 suspended from the main frame I0 by means of brackets I9; a work attaching arm or clamp 20 mounted upon the carriage I7 and being adjustable toward and away from the plane 2| of cutting by means of graduated screw mechanism 22; and an oiling roller 23 rotatably supported upon the swinging end of a bracket 24 which is pivotally' suspended from the bearing I4, for bodily swinging movement toward and away from the cutting plane. 2 I.

The main support or frame It may be formed of a single suitably reenforced casting having the pedestals for the bearings I3, I4 formed integral therewith, and the motor I 5 when used as a driving means for the cutter, may be mounted directly upon. this integral base plate. The frame I0 may also be provided with a work supporting plate 25 secured to the extreme rear portion of the machine and extending forwardly over the motor I5 and bearings I3, I4, and this plate 25 also serves to shield and protect the motor I5 and to transmission gearing I6, and to protect the operator against injury. The belt gearing I6 specifically shown is of the V-belt type, but any other suitable type of drive for the cutter supporting shaft I2 may be utilized.

The rotary cutter II has a series of substantially radial end cutting edges 26 which are revolvable in the plane 2|, and this cutter II is detachably secured to one end of the shaft I2 by means of a clamping nut 21, in a well-known manner. The belt gearing I6 coacts with the medial portion of the shaft I2 between the bearings I3, I4, and the opposite end of the cutter supporting shaft I2 is preferably provided with an adjustable play eliminating collar 28 for preventing axial displacement of the shaft I2 and cutter I relative to the plane 2 I.

As previously indicated, the work supporting carriage I1 is mounted for free manual reciprocation along the parallel guide tubes or bars I8, and these bars are preferably of relatively heavy and stiff formation in order to insure rectilineal movement of the carriage I'I past the cutter, II, and to resist bending due to cutting pressures. The bars I8 are rigidly but detachably secured to the frame I8 by means of the end brackets I9, and the clamp 20 which is mounted upon the carriage I1 is adapted to firmly clamp successive pieces of work as elongated T-sectioned type slugs 29 with their impression faces disposed in the cutting plane 2|, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The upper clamp arm 20 is swingably suspended from the clamp base 30 by an end pivot pin 3|, and is constantly urged toward the base 30 by means of a spring 32 coacting with the base 38 and with a clamp closing rod 33 the upper end of which is pivotally attached to the medial portion of the arm 20. A clamp releasing cam 34 secured to a shaft 35 journalled in the clamp base 30, and'which is oscillatable by means of a handle 36, serves to swing the clamp arm 20 upwardly against the action of the spring 32 and to hold the clamp open. Thescrew adjusting mechanism 22 for properly initially positioning the work clamping assemblage upon the carriage I1 and relative to the cutting plane 2|, is provided primarily to compensate for regrinding of the cutting teeth or edges 26. The carriage I1 and work clamping mechanism, while being freely movable back and forth along the guide rods or bars I8, are fixed against lateral displacement relative to the cutting plane 2|, so that the impression faces of the work slug 23 will always be disposed in the plane 2|.

The improved oiling rig for lubricating the type slug 29 prior to initial presentation thereof to the cutter II, is an important feature of this invention and permits rough initial cutting and final finishing of the impression faces while maintaining the finished faces free from lubricant. The lubricant carrying roller 23 may be formed of any suitable material adapted to retain any desirable kind of lubricantin sufiicient quantitles to accomplish the desired results, and is freely rotatable about an upright pin 31 secured to the roller supporting bracket 24 and having a lower end 38 depending below this bracket, see Figs. 3 to 7 inclusive. The bracket 24 is pivotally suspended from the main frame I0 through the fixed bearing I4 by means of a pivot pin 39, and a stiff leaf spring 40 coacts with the pivoted end of the bracket 24 in such manner that the bracket will always tend to return the roller 23 to neutral position as shown in Figs.v 5 and 6. The depending lower end 38 of the swinging roller supporting pin 31 is cooperable during reciprocation of the work carriage IT, with an actuating bar or flange 4| secured to the carriage I1, and the flange 4| extends substantially parallel to the plane 2| and is of proper length to perform its function of swinging the oiling roller 23 bodily toward and away from the cutting plane 2| during forward and reverse motion of the work.

During normal use of the improved trimming machine, the motor I5 is operating to revolve the cutter II through the belt gearing I6 and shaft I2, and the oiling roller 23 which is properlysupplied with suitable lubricant, is normally positioned as shown in Fig. 5, by the leaf spring 40. The carriage I1 is then freely reciprocable along the guide bars I8 and past the teeth 26 of the cutter II.- A piece of work such as a type slug 29 may'then be clamped between the clamping arm 20 and the clamping base 36 as shown in Fig. 4, and with the lever 36 in release position, the spring 32 will function to firmly clamp the slug 29 in position. The clamping of the slug 29 to the carriage I'I will normally be effected when the carriage I1 is in the position shown in Fig. 1, that-is, forwardly of the oiling roller 23.

After the type slug 29 has been thus positioned upon the carriage I'I, this carriage may be moved rearwardly past the cutter. The initial rearward movement of the carriage I| causes the flange 4| to engage the depending pin portion 38 and to swing the supporting bracket 24 for the roller 23 sufficiently to cause the roller 23 to move into the plane 2| as shown in Fig. 3. The pin portion 38 will thereafter ride along the surface of the flange 4| parallel to the plane 2| and will cause the roller 23 to engage the face of the type slug 29 and to apply a layer of oil or lubricant thereto. The slug 29 upon being subsequently advanced past the teeth 25 of the cutter I is faced in the cutting plane 2 I, and. this advancing movement of the carriage I I should be continued until the entire bar 29 has been lubricated and has subsequently passed the cutter II. The position of the flange 4| after the cutter has thus made the initial cut, is shown in Fig. 6, wherein the oiling roller 23 has .been returned to neutral position. .When the carriage is subsequently" shown in Fig. 7. As. the work is subsequently advanced past the cutter during this forward movement of the carriage II, the cutting teeth 26 will become effective to finally finish the impression face of the type-slug 29. The flange 4| will, however,' remain effective to maintain the oiling roller 23 out of contact with the type face, so that when the carriage H has been restored to the position shown in Fig. 1, the roller 23 will again move to neutral position, but the plane at the face of the type slug 29 will be dry. The type bar may thereafter be readily removed by releasing the clamping arm 20 with the aid of the handle 36 and cam 34, whereupon the finished type bar may be replaced by a subsequent piece of work.

From the foregoing specific description of the mode of operation of the improved machine, it will be apparent that the present invention provides simple, yet highly efficient instrumentalities for lubricating the work prior to facing thereof, and for insuring effective facing by double cutting. The cut produced during forward motion of the carriage I! may be a relatively deep and rough cut, whereas the cutting effected during reverse movement of the carriage will be a relatively slight finishing cut. By thus cutting during both the forward and reverse movements of the carriage, smoother final finishing may be accomplished. The mechanism for accommodating the oiling roller 23 and for moving the same laterally toward and away from the cutting plane 2|, however, insures maintenance of dry finished faces on the work, in spite of the fact that these faces are subjected to double cutting.

From the foregoing description it will be ap-' parent that our present invention provides an improved resurfacing machine which is simple, durable and compact in construction, and which may be readily manipulated to efi'ectively plane the faces of type slugs and other printing bodies. The successive bodies which are thus faced may be readily applied to and removed from the machine, and the operation of the carriage is so simple that the machine may be manipulated by a novice. The work supporting plate 25 which is disposed over the driving mechanism and other relatively delicate parts of the machine, not only facilitates supporting the rough and finished work, but also serves as an operator guard and protects the machine parts. The improved machine has proven highly successful in actual use, and it has been found that most efficient resurfacing may be accomplished with a double cutting, without subjecting the finished faces to contact with the oiling roller. The oiling mechanism operates entirely automatically, and is at all times open to inspection and for the application of lubricant.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact details of construction or the precise mode of use herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. In combination, a cutter, a supporting carriage for objects to be faced by said cutter, means for facilitating reciprocation of said carriage past said cutter to cause the latter to face the objects supported by said carriage, an oiler for applying lubricant to the faces of said objects during advancement thereof toward said cutter by said carriage, and guide means reciprocable with said carriage and cooperable with said oiler for automatically moving said oiler and for retaining the same awayfrom the plane'of' cutting and out of contact with said objects during return movement of the work past said oiler.

2. In combination, a cutter, a supporting carriage for objects to be faced by said cutter, means for facilitating reciprocation of said carriage past said cutter to cause the latter to face the objects supported by said carriage, an oiler for applying lubricant to the faces of said objects during advancement thereof toward said cutter by said carriage, and an actuating flange for automatically causing said oiler to contact the faces of the objects being transported by said carriage prior to refacing of said faces and for automatically removing said oiler from the path of cutting and out of contact with said objects during return movement of the work past said cutter and said oiler.

3. In combination, a rotary cutter having cutting edges movable in a plane, a carriage movable back and forth to transport objects past said outter in said plane, an oiler for supplying lubricant to the faces of said objects during initial advancement thereof by said carriage toward said cutter, and means for automatically moving said oiler about an axis by the movement of said carriage to move the same into and out of contact with the work during back and forth movements respectively of said carriage.

4. In combination, a cutter, a work supporting carriage movable past said cutter, a work oiler movably suspended near the plane of cutting, and an actuating flange movable by said carriage and cooperable with said oiler to move the latter toward and away from said plane.

5. In combination, a rotary cutter, a work supporting carriage movable past said cutter, a work oiling roller swingably suspended near the plane of cutting, and an actuating flange carried by said carriage and coacting with said roller to move the same into and out of said plane.

6. In combination, a rotary cutter having cutting edges movable in a plane, a carriage movable back and forth to transport objects past said outter in said plane, an oiler for supplying lubricant to the faces of said objects during initial advancement thereof by said carriage toward said cutter, and an actuating flange carried by said carriage for moving said oiler into and out of contact with the work during the back and forth movements respectively of said carriage.

'7. In combination, a cutter having cutting edges revolvable about a fixed axis and in a fixed plane, a carriage reciprocable past said cutter to transport type bars past said cutter with the faces thereof in said plane, an oiler for supplying lubricant to said type faces during initial advancement thereof in said plane toward said cutter, and a guide arm laterally adjacent said plane for moving said oiler into and out of said plane.

8. In combination, a cutter rotatable about a fixed axis, a work supporting carriage movable to transport objects past said cutter in opposite directions, an oiling roller cooperable with the the cut faces of the objects during the return movement of said" carriage.

9. In combination, a cutter" rotatable about afixed axis, a work supporting carriage movable to transport objects past said cutter in opposite directions, a pivotally suspended oiling roller 00- operable with the objects as they are moved by said carriage toward said. cutter, and an actu ating flange actuated by' said carriage and coacting with said roller for swinging said roller into and out of the plane of cutting when said carriage moves in opposite directions.

10. In combination, a cutter, a support for ob- 

